Polaris
by This Muse
Summary: Because she begged, They gave - whether that was the right choice or not remains to be seen. OC-centric. Doctor!OC. Priestess!OC Jae-ha/OC.
1. Origin

Origin

Ash. Smoke rose up from the remains of the village and curled towards the heavens like the skeletal fingers of those people begging for mercy.

This was the sight reflected in the clear orange eyes of a little girl, only six years old. Her hand twitched around her little brother's, a child of two.

They were starving, and the girl knew that she must dig through these peoples' graves to survive. She closed her eyes.

_May the Gods have Mercy on us._

"Yong-nee?" Yong-Ha turned her gaze to meet the sapphire blue of her younger brother's. His eyes were red-rimmed from tears and his cheeks were pink from the cold. His expression was surly and miserable. "Hungry."

She smiled at him.

She was six years old. Their parents were dead, and they were cold, and starving, and hiding from the violent, despairing men of the Xingese army as they razed the land of their enemies and they made their way home in shame and defeat.

The Kami whispered things she couldn't understand - but she knew they loved her. They always have. They've guided her steps, her hands, and it's saved them both.

She was certain that she would be capable of doing anything for him.

"It's okay." She told him. "Nee-san will get some food right now."

She would take from the bodies of dead men, women, and children to ensure that they lived.

/\/\/

Her little brother was dying.

The thundering fall of rain outside of their little cave seemed to echo in her skull as she held his trembling form in her arms.

She would do anything to save him - but she was only six years old.

He was so sick - so weak. He couldn't eat the food she brought - all of it was heaved back up within minutes, if he could even swallow it down. She couldn't even build a fire to thaw his frozen frame. He was dying, and she didn't know what to do.

The voice of the Kami continued to ring like bells in her head, growing louder, stronger -

The rain joined their chorus.

_If you love me, then I shall ask for only one thing._

(This was all she had left.)

_Save him._

She prayed.

Begged-

They answered.

/

It was hard.

For a two year old, her little brother wasn't so little. Even with the loss of weight over the past few weeks, Yong-Ha struggled and gasped as she carried him to the tree, with him napping comfortably all the while. Still, she couldn't help smiling.

The thrum of his heartbeat was strong against her back, and his breath was warm against her cheek- all proof that it had worked. That he was going to make it.

Setting him down with a grunt, she carefully leaned him against the trunk of the oak and smoothed his bangs back against his head. Blearily, his eyes creaked open. With the return of consciousness came the return of his perpetual grumpy scowl. She would have giggled at the sight if her heart didn't ache so much. "Yong-nee?"

Her hands shook. She was given the strength to save his life, but the strength to let go was something she had to find within herself. Doing what she did best, she smiled. She filled it with every bit of love and reassurance she could and said, "Nee-San is going to do something very important, and she needs you to stay here for a little bit." She swallowed. "She's gonna get someone to help you."

Quickly, she stood. She had to leave before she lost her nerve. This was where he would be found, and cared for - but she had to go somewhere else. She needed to be ready for when the time came. With another smile, she turned, but froze in her tracks when she felt chubby little arms wrap around her middle.

"Where you go?" Yong-Ha didn't dare look behind her. He squeezed tighter. His angry demands came out trembling. "Yong-nee don't go. Stay!"

The crying started when she began prying his hands off. Big, wailing sobs that hurt both her ears and resolve. Stomping his foot, he screamed his disapproval at her departure - sensing that this goodbye wasn't quite the same as those that came before.

She tugged at the fabric of her worn dress, which he clung to viciously. "Nooo! Mamaaa!" He trailed off in tears, and she finally snapped.

Whirling around, she gripped his shoulders. "Mama is gone!" Sobs choked her. "Papa is gone! That means Nee-san has to take care of you! But I can't!" Her brother sniveled, but the rare sight of her tears and anger seemed to startle him enough that he fell silent.

Yong-Ha fell to her knees, and held his face in her hands. His cheeks were slick with tears and snot. Looking him in the eye, she spoke. "A man is going to come by here. He has a scar on his face, and rides a black horse. I need you to trust him. He's going to take good care of you."

Indeed he would. The visions hadn't let her sleep all night - her brother's savior.

Not hers. She would have to find him herself.

They would have to part - it was the only way they would be ready for when their King called.

"Don't wanna."

Giving in, she held him tight to her chest. With a wet kiss to his forehead, she said, "You have to." She rocked him. "Be strong. For me."

He was silent, and Yong-Ha despaired to herself that she would have to abandon him while he screamed for her not to go. Just as she was about to move, she heard it.

"Okay."

Despite it all, she felt pride blooming in her chest. She knew he would live up to his promise.

"I love you."

She watched from a distance, from within the shrubbery as her vision come to fruition. A man with feathers in his greying hair pulled to a stop as he spotted the little boy sitting under the tree. Hopping off his steed, he crouched down in front of the child. The two seemed to have a discussion she couldn't hear, the only thing she could catch being the sharp bark of laughter the man gave at something the younger of the two had said.

Her heart thumped loudly, heavily as she watched them ride away. The grief she had held onto since their parents' death reared its head, stronger than before.

She whispered her last farewell.

"Goodbye, Hak."

* * *

**I'm sure many of you already had an inkling about Lil Bro's identity as you read. Hak's backstory is easy to expand on, since it's pretty vague.**

**Honestly, I'm not certain where this is going to go, but I have some solid ideas I want to build on. It would be great if you could tell me your thoughts on the story in the reviews!**


	2. Apprentice

Apprentice

* * *

Jin-soo released a puff of air, the exhaustion catching up to him. Making his rounds through the devastated communities, treating those he could and burying those he couldn't, the relentless days of travel and work was getting to be too much for his old bones.

Back in the day, he was certain he would have lasted another week at least.

Lying down on his mat, he sighed with relief. The weather was decent enough that sleeping under the stars was actually quite nice - but the winter months were steadily approaching, and he'd have to find a place to settle down for the coming season.

_If Min-ho hadn't gone and kicked it_, he thought somewhat snidely, _this wouldn't be a problem._

Jin-soo's first and only student had died quite suddenly due to an accident with a horse some years ago, and now the old man had no one to help with the patients and traveling. People suggested, in no doubt what they thought was a helpful manner, that with his skills he could just go work for the King or some other noble and make heaps of money.

As if he hadn't already done that! It was demoralizing in the worst way. Attending to every silly little concern and generally just waiting around making routine drugs while people outside, past the fancy gardens and high walls, were dying and suffering from something _he_ had the ability to fix

No, he was better off out here, where guilt wasn't eating him alive.

(They also told him that he could have (read: _should_ have) more than just one apprentice, and though he's come to see that they were probably, _maybe_, just a little bit correct, he wouldn't ever admit it. Most wannabe apprentices were either morons or money grubbing sleazes, and it really was a damn shame that someone as bright and honorable as Min-ho died getting kicked in the face.)

Either way, he had made his choice, and he had no intention of going back on it. Besides, what good would it do now? His wife and kid were both gone, so the only person he had to bother worrying about in terms of money was himself. He had no particular desire outside of food, alcohol, and a good napsack, so there really was no point getting rich now. If he had enough to sustain himself and stock up on medicinal herbs, then he was good to go.

Shaking his head, he settled into a more comfortable position. Many things were pointless, and this train of thought was one them. He had to get to sleep if he wanted to be ready to move the next day. As he finally felt his eyes drooping shut, he thought he might have heard a distinct rustle of leaves, but dismissed it as a rabbit or some harmless animal before finally falling asleep.

/\/\/

It was with great regret that he recalled the noise from the night before, and how he ignored it, as he watched with a numb sort of indifference as the brat in front of him scarfed down her food faster than a dog on bacon.

With a sneeze and a shiver, he had regained consciousness to an unusually chilly morning for the season._ What a pain..._ Blearily he shuffled around a bit, hunching his back against the cold air, only to have a near heart attack when he felt something twitch against his back. Lying still, he moved to see what it was. The joints in his neck almost creaking with how slow he had turned, he was met with the sight of a skinny, dirty little urchin hogging his blanket.

Idiot that he was, instead of throwing her out of his encampment with a good scolding (like he should have), he cooked breakfast and waited for her to get up.

When she woke up, rather than be suspicious or worried that she was caught, the kid had looked at the bowl of food and promptly dived right in, ignoring his existence altogether.

He would have been more insulted if he wasn't so busy marveling at the sheer nerve of the child.

"Alright kid," he began when she started slurping up the last bits of the broth. "I get that you're hungry and probably alone, but I'm a busy old man. Once you're done with that, I want you to scram. There's a decent sized village a few miles down the trail, and I'm sure you'll do just fine getting a job."

This was true. She might have had a wild look about her (the lack of bathing didn't help, he was certain), but with the sort of mental fortitude she exhibited, he knew she'd find some way to make it.

He took the empty bowl from her dirt smudged hands and put it with the rest of his things. Hitching his belongings over his shoulders, he patted her on the head. Giving her a stern glare, he said "Now you don't go off taking any more naps with strange men, ya hear? I'm just a tired old man, but people out here would have no qualms doing terrible things to little girls like yourself."

She stared. Jin-soo sighed. He really didn't have the time or energy for this sort of nonsense on top of everything else he had to be doing.

"I'm leaving now."

And that would have been that. He would have gone on doing his job, moving from place to place during the warmer seasons until he got too frail to do it and died in his sleep, finally ready to greet his wife and child in the afterlife - and maybe Min-ho too, if he was feeling particularly good that day. The only thing he'd have to worry about taking care of until then would have been his patients and his supply of alcohol.

Yes, everything would have been quite simple if not for the small scrape of straw sandals against dirt as a - what he would very soon discover - annoyingly persistent brat didn't go in the opposite direction.

/\/\/

"Right." He clapped his hands together. "So let me get this straight." He pointed a finger at the girl. "You're telling me that you walked across the Wind tribe territory, on your own, for two weeks because the Kami told you to, all so you could find little old me and become a doctor."

Jin-soo had done his best to ignore the shuffling footsteps that followed him, but after three hours he couldn't help glancing back to see how she was doing. When he reached the village, she had followed him all the way up to the inn doors before stopping outside, where she puttered around for several hours until he finally got fed up with checking on her every ten minutes out of worry.

The two of them were sitting across from each other, quite comfortable in the cozy little room while she munched on rice crackers.

A nod.

Well. Hmm. "I see."

He didn't doubt that she was telling the truth, but little kids tended to have some pretty wild imaginations. Although, that didn't quite explain how she knew where to find him, or how she knew he was a doctor - but that was all stuff that could be tacked on after seeing his tools and appearance. She could just be making up all that nonsense so she could get a good meal and a place to stay for a while.

Still, he didn't think it was a trick. Even if it was, Jin-soo thought to himself with growing resignation, he probably wouldn't care.

He waved her off. "Doesn't matter for now. I'll let you be my disciple -" A bright smile. It was quite startling after only blank or confused looks, but he pressed on. "- but only one the condition that you earn your keep!"

"Okay," she said quite happily. "How will I do that?"

He nodded. A good answer - earnest, no hesitation.

"First of all, you do everything I tell you to. If I tell you to boil twenty pots of water, then you do. If I tell you to climb up a cliffside to fetch some herbs, then you do. You may be a child, but you're young and small, which means there are many things you have can do that I'm no longer capable of at this age. It's not an excuse to be a burden."

"If I may - what on earth would you need twenty pots of boiling water for?"

"That's what you're here to learn, isn't it?"

He continued his little lecture. She would help treat patients, help him travel, help him cook, clean, and sew -

The girl listened attentively the whole time, though she kept shifting her feet and fidgeting restlessly.

"Right, any questions?"

She seemed to be ruminating to herself, though her eyes were unsteady, darting around as she thought to herself. She didn't seem to be looking at anything in particular - perhaps something in her head? He wasn't sure he wanted to know, honestly...

Scratching his head, he squinted at her. He was forgetting something, he could feel it…

"What should I call you, sir?"

He was tempted to snap his fingers, but managed to restrain himself. _That's the thing._

"My name is Pak Jin-soo. From now on you will call me Master Pak."

"Master Pak," she parroted.

Jin-soo nodded. "Now, I need a name to call you as well, little one."

"Yong-ha."

_Yong-ha, eh?_ No family name - she was either hiding it, didn't know it, or just didn't have one. It was said either way, but It didn't matter in the end.

"Well Yong-ha, you better prepare yourself." He made sure his grin was sufficiently ominous as he made his declaration. "Since I've taken you in, I'm gonna make you the best damn healer the kingdom of Kouka has ever seen - and I'm going to make you work for it."

And as grand and outrageous as they had been, Jin-soo believed in those words. A gut feeling, a premonition if you will, was telling him - that there was something about this kid. With her sunburst eyes and her oddly polite way of speaking despite her almost feral mannerisms, she was stranger than any child he'd encountered before.

This wasn't the first stray he's had pleading him for help. He gave what he could, did what he could, and there were children that would follow him hoping for more. They offered to work for him, to hunt and help around, please take my son, my younger brother, and on and on.

They hear he has no disciple, that he's doctor, and wanting the best for their loved ones, they beg. Jin-soo didn't begrudge them that at all - he understood. But there was something different about being responsible for the life of a stranger - someone you didn't know, would never know - that was vastly different from having to guide someone that would become more than just another face in the masses of the hungry and sick. Taking on a student from these parts, from anywhere really, meant that their suffering wasn't just their own that he, an outsider who might offer some small comfort or release, would share in that suffering as well.

He didn't take students after Min-ho. That was a man of power and talent, and Jin-soo had thought him an exceptional individual the likes of which he would never encounter again. There really was no reason to believe so, but he hoped that just this once, he was wrong about that.

* * *

**Hello there ~ so nice to actually upload a second chapter for once. It's pretty short, but for this story I decided I wasn't gonna force myself to add up to a word count. My second chapter for Engiri has been sitting in my files, uncompleted at about 7K words for over a year and it's honestly breaking my heart. I'm going to do my best not to let the need to have every little thing be perfect impede me from continuing this project. **

**Anyways, if you have any thoughts on this, even something small, I'd love to know about it in the reviews!**

**I'd also like to thank everyone that followed and/or favorited this, and also 1freakshow for being so kind as to leave me an encouraging review.**

**~Muse~**


	3. The Mercenary

The Mercenary

* * *

_Five Years Later_

Thunder rolled across the grey shrouded heavens, the bright flash of lightning from seconds before fading as it did. Trees swayed violently in the wind, their leaves rustling with every passing brush of air. Rain pounded down mercilessly on the two travelers making their way through the mountainous terrain of the wind tribe, their indignant screaming at one another blending in seamlessly with the cacophonous weather.

"I _told_ you that we wouldn't make it in time! But _no_, you're bored, you're dying, we have to move out _now_! You're an old man, you know, you shouldn't be out in this kind of weather-"

"Well that's what _you're_ here for, brat! And _whose_ fault was it that we were stuck there for an entire month!"

"It was an accident! And I paid them back on my own - that's not even important right now-"

The pair continued to bicker without breaking step, both doing their best to march through the muddy path. Despite the yelling and shouting, Yong-ha dutifully held the older man's handed and helped guiding him around the spots with more unsteady footing.

"-the villagers said they'd have one of their men guide us if we waited until the storm cleared - even bandits aren't stupid enough to think they'll be any travelers to rob, though I suppose that's a good thing right now-"

"Quit your yapping, we're already out here, and we're almost at Lee's temple-"

Another flash, and after a moment, another roll of thunder. The two scowled at each other. Rolling her eyes, Yong-ha continued forward with a mutinous stomp of her foot, splashing more water on their already soaked bottoms. Master Pak gave her ear a sharp tug in rebuke, and she yelped.

"Master Pak!"

"I'm not having any of that attitude from a brat like you - "

"No, that's not - Master Pak, _look!_" Yong-ha hooked her arm firmly around her mentor's as she came to halt, pointing down towards the riverbank. It was difficult to see through the downpour, but faintly the young girl could make out a vaguely human shaped lump moving sluggishly, unsteadily.

"What is that?" her master demanded.

"I think it's a person - they're moving but they seem to be injured," she told him. Turning she held her palms together in a plea. "May I go check on them?"

The doctor pursed his lips as though he had eaten a particularly sour plum, but nodded with a resigned sigh. "You can't just go around approaching strangers all defenseless like that, even if they're injured. But I know that won't stop you - you're too much of a stubborn brat." He nudged her arm that was still hooked around his elbow. "You're taking me with you though."

She accepted the condition, biting her tongue that threatened to lecture her elderly mentor that it was too dangerous for him to go down the slope - they were both compromising after all. As swiftly as she could without risking injury, Yong-ha guided Master Pak down the grassy hill leading down to the bank. Their tightly woven sandals sank into the soft, silty dirt as they made their way to the struggling man.

Thankfully for the injured person, this river was originally a small and shallow one, so the rush of water from the storm wasn't bad enough that the bank was flooded at this time, most likely saving his life. He was lying face down in the dirt, mumbling an incoherent mess of what might have been words.

Cautiously, the pair approached, wary of any sudden attacks or movements. When the man didn't seem to even notice their presence, Yong-ha crouched down beside his head.

"Sir?" she questioned, careful to stay still.

"Hina… Hinami…"

_A name?_ He was calling out for someone - someone that wasn't here. Yong-ha could feel the pity welling up inside of her, though she did her best to squash it - Master Pak said it wasn't good for people in their line of work to get too attached, or let their emotions influence their decisions.

Reaching forwards, she gently touched the man's shoulder and tried once more to gain his attention. "Sir? Are you -"

She jolted in fear when her wrist was grasped firmly in the man's fist. She could sense her master adjusting his grasp on his knife, preparing to strike.

The man, finally noticing her, met her gaze for a heartbeat, seeming almost surprised before he let go and buried his face deeper into the ground with a roar. She trembled at the familiar sound of grief and hollow rage she had grown accustomed to over the years working with her mentor.

Master Pak seemed to recognize it too. "Get back, girl," he ordered. Swallowing, she rose to obey. As she stepped back, she noticed something that made her eyes widen in alarm.

"Master Pak, his back…"

A long, deep gash was carved into the man's muscular back, the blood soaked fabric surrounding the area only slightly darker than the water drenching the rest of it.

"I'll take care of it," he told her. Shrugging off his travel pack, he began pulling out bandages and a roll of thread. "You go and get some of the monks to help lug this big lump over to the temple."

Her eyes shifted uneasily between her mentor and the mysterious man, but she finally nodded and scampered up the bank before disappearing deeper into the mountainside.

The man looked up at the doctor and gave a weak snarl of defiance. Despite its owner's show of defiance, the body seemed to remember the damage done to it, and unconsciousness finally clouded the man's blood red gaze.

Jin-soo gave a tired sigh. He's been complaining for years that he was too old for this nonsense, but it's only now that he genuinely felt his age. He may have needed his young student's help navigating the muddy terrain, but the only real problem he's had up to this point were back pains, and in the past three years, some unsteady footing.

Now, the old doctor was sure he'd happily take a nap for a week, under the tender care of his fussy young student. Not something he was willing to endure on a good day, usually.

Eying the weapon on the man's hip, and the numerous scars that littered his arms Jin-soo grumbled down at his unconscious form. "You better have the money to pay for this - I don't offer my services to your kind for free."

/\/\/

A wooden ceiling. A bowl of water by his bedside. A damp towel against his forehead.

An ache that radiated throughout his body from his back, and a soul-crushing grief that consumed the entirety of his being.

_How am I alive?_

The small _shikh_ of a sliding wood door, followed by a small patter of feet. Suddenly, they halted. His eyes rolled over to see a girl standing by the entrance with a cautious look.

He remembered her. In the last dredges of consciousness as he dragged his broken body out of the rush of water, he thought he had seen her - Hinami. But the eyes were a warmer, brighter shade of orange than his sister's dark cherry red, and the face more youthful and childish.

_Not by much, though_, he thought bitterly.

With a tilt of her head, she scrutinized him carefully before speaking. "How is your back feeling?"

He said nothing. His mouth was dry and he wasn't in the mood.

The girl shrugged before moving in and to grab the towel off his head, setting down a cup of water and gathering the bowl into her arms as she did. "Well, I'll tell Master Pak you're awake. I'll bring you some food once he's seen you."

With that, she left, and he was alone again.

With nothing better to do, he tried to sit up. Immediately, stabbing pains assaulted his muscles, the worst of it concentrated on his back. He fell back with a gasp, and even that light impact made his body wail in agony. Once the sensation of lava being poured down his spine settled down to something more like boiling water, he tried again. Slowly, he managed to lift himself onto his forearms. Sweat beaded along his forehead and his breathing grew harsher with the exertion.

Carefully, he reached out to grab the water. Once he got to his mouth, he chugged it with inhuman speed before he dropped it on his lap with a sigh.

_Fuck._ Everything hurt, but pain was something he was used to dealing with. It shouldn't have been this hard just trying to get up.

Not to mention his sword was gone - he wasn't sure whether it was washed away in the river or taken from him when he was unconscious, but its absence left him feeling naked. How the hell was he supposed to defend himself like this?

His internal fuming was interrupted as the door was slid open once again, this time revealing an old man.

With his grumpy expression and flat stare, he looked distinctly unimpressed, as well as unsurprised. "Settle down, you brute- make me do those stitches again and I'm charging you extra."

For a solid three seconds, he stared. When he finally responded, he said "I don't have any money."

The old man - probably the Master Pak the girl spoke of earlier - kneeled down beside him and easily knocked him back down onto the futon. Biting back a grunt of pain, he gave the master a resentful glare.

"I figured." Folding his sleeves into his robes the doctor continued. "So I have some options for you - just know that this ain't a job I'll be doing for free. I don't do charity work for fighter types like you."

It was incredibly annoying to be talked out from above. "Where's my sword?" he demanded rather than acknowledge anything the old man said.

"I took it,"was the easy reply. "And I must say, it seemed to be of unusually high quality. Maybe if we sold it you could pay off your bills, however -"

"No," he bit out quickly. "I need it."

Master Pak gave him an unreadable look. "What's your name, brat?"

He blinked at the abruptness of the question. Though he was hesitant, he replied honestly. "Ryō."

"And how old are you?"

"Twenty years."

Master Pak continued to study him.

"You're young. I'm going to ask you one more question - and you better answer it honestly or that sword of yours is off to the nearest pawn shop."

"Fine," Ryō grumbled.

"How did you end up in that river?"

A beat.

"I fell off a cliff."

At the glare the doctor gave him, Ryō protested raising his arms in a defensive motion. "It's true!"

At Master Pak's continued silence, he sneered and looked away. He didn't want to think about it - didn't want to remember what happened. All he wanted was to get through this, and get his revenge.

He couldn't let himself die until he did - he knew Hinami's spirit would never rest if he failed.

Still, the old fart that saved his life was demanding answer. Unwilling as he was to speak, Ryō figured giving him the bare minimum wouldn't be so terrible.

"Some people I thought I could trust betrayed me. I got away."

After a minute, the doctor finally spoke. "You're from Xing?" Ryō raised an eyebrow, and Master Pak nodded as though confirming something to himself. "A fugitive then."

Ryō gave him a wary look. "So what now?"

The doctor fell silent, looking down at him, dissecting him with sharp, steel grey eyes for several tense moments before nodding to himself. "Right, well. I was going to say that you could work for me."

Ryō stared. Then he laughed. Was this guy for real? "Work for you?"

The doctor shrugged. "My student and I need a bodyguard. I'm an old man and she's just a child - we've been getting by with help from locals, but if we want to get some of the regions farther out, we need someone to protect us from bandits and the like." He sighed. "Ever since the current Emperor took the throne, the kingdom has devolved into utter chaos. Most places aren't safe at all without hired muscle."

"You don't even know me."

"No, I don't. And I'll tell you what- I don't care what kind of chip you have on your shoulder if I can trust you to do your job and keep that brat of mine from getting herself killed."

"How do you know I won't just leave the second I get my sword back?" Ryō wanted to resist. He didn't want to be a babysitter while _they_ were still alive.

"I'm only hiring you long enough for you to pay me off. Besides, I'm assuming that you'll probably want that back wound of yours to heal properly before you go off to do something stupid like pick a fight with your backstabbing friends."

He grimaced, conceding to himself that yes- it would be a terrible idea to pick that fight in his current state. But still - he couldn't stay here. In Kouka. He couldn't let anyone else kill them, especially not _him_.

"I'm willing to take care of injuries, along with food and shelter if you take me up on my offer. A much better trade off than a one-time treatment for your fancy sword." The doctor leaned forward with his hands on his knees. Ryō thought the way the doctor was taking advantage of his bedridden state to assert his dominance was petty but he let it go. "I'll give you some time to think about it, but I'll need your answer within a week."

The master stood to leave, his joints creaking under the strain. "That's all I came to say. My student will bring you some food and water, and I'm going to let her take care of the bandages and check the stitches."

"The kid?"

"I wouldn't worry about her. She's competent." he responded, and turned to leave.

"Wait," Ryō called out. The doctor glanced over his shoulder with an impatient glare. "Thank you for saving my life." He may have been a bastard, and rude, but he wasn't a completely thankless heathen.

Master Pak snorted. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he said "Don't thank me. I would have left you in that ditch if it weren't for the girl."

The doctor was gone before he could even think to respond.

/\/\/

A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal the girl again, this time with a tray in her hands. "Hello again," she said with a smile. "Master Pak says I get to be your caretaker, so we'll be getting to know each other. Here, I'll help you up."

Setting down the tray, she hooked one of his arms around her tiny shoulders. Gratefully, Ryō accepted the aid, though she seemed to be straining under his weight. "You're really heavy," she complained, though she didn't move away. Once he was upright, she made quick work of some pillows so that he could lean against the wall.

Once he was settled down, she placed the tray down in front of him. "Do you need help eating it?" she asked, and he waved her off.

"I can feed myself."

And he did - with the girl sitting next to him, watching the whole time. It was disconcerting to say the least.

Halfway through his meal, he finally snapped. "What the hell do you want, kid?"

She continued staring at him, unfazed by his aggressive tone. "Is it true that you're coming with us?"

He scowled at her innocent expression. It wasn't even fake. "You were eavesdropping?"

"Yes."

"Well no, I'm not going with you guys. Find someone else to be your bodyguard."

She immediately deflated. "Oh. Well I thought it would be cool to have another person around."

He grunted into his bowl.

"I take care of a lot of things for Master Pak, but there's a lot out there that I can't do, and he's getting kind of old, so-"

He tuned the rest of her blabber out as he finished eating. Little girls who wouldn't shut up were a breed he was experienced in handling.

When he was done, he tuned back in. She was still going

"- and the monks here are nice and all, but they don't like it when-"

He held up a hand. Her little rant fizzled out as she awkwardly waited for him to speak. Tangerine eyes darted about between ink black locks, and she seemed to be holding in an embarrassed pout. Scratching his cheek, he sighed.

She was just a kid, and was probably lonely with just an old man around. Even the company of a beat up, surly young man was better than nothing, in her eyes.

Unbidden, a memory of his sister running towards him with an excited squeal when he came home after his first few months on rotation flashed through his mind. She was twelve at the time.

"My name is Ryō," he said.

Her eyes shot up from the tatami flooring to meet his, clearly startled at his admission. After a moment to process his words, though, she smiled. "My name is Yong-ha."

He gave her a tired smile. "I'll be in your care, Yong-ha."

After clearing his dishes, she promptly assessed his stitches and redressed the wounds with surprising efficiency and skill. After that, she ordered him to bed rest for the rest of the day, and he was left to either nap or brood at the wall.

As tempting as the doctor's offer was, Ryō couldn't take it.

He really could just take his things and leave once he was well enough to move, but his conscience wouldn't let him treat someone who saved his life in such an ungrateful manner. As much as it would pain him to part with such excellent craftsmanship, a sword sharp enough to cut wasn't something difficult to acquire. He would take the loss and move on.

He had a job to do after all. He'd go back to Xing and finish it- even if it killed him.

/\/\/

The rest of the week was spent mostly in his room, with only Yong-ha for company. After two days or so, he was able to get up on his own, and with the blessing of his young caretaker, by the fourth day he was allowed to sit on the porch.

During this time, he began to pick up on her many odd habits that became more and more apparent once she got used to his company. She was always either humming, singing, mumbling to herself- constantly making noise. Never seemed to stop moving, either - always busy with this chore or that, and if she wasn't, she'd wander about restlessly as she talked at him about her day.

The times she was silent, she would tilt her head and close her eyes as though listening to a voice in her head. Bobbing her head like she was nodding, but otherwise still, it was a stark contrast to her usual state of being.

He asked her about it, one afternoon.

"Hm? You want to know what I'm listening to?"

He nodded.

She gave him a blank look. His skin crawled at its piercing unfamiliarity. Slowly she turned to look outside before clasping her hands. "The Kami are always whispering… and sometimes when they want someone to hear them, I listen."

"The Gods speak to you?"

She nodded. His tilted his head in consideration. "What do they say?"

Her expression remained unreadable, though he could sense an undercurrent of surprise at his words. "Lately, they like to talk a lot about a girl."

His chest tightened. "A girl?"

"Yes…"

"What about her?"

"I think she prayed to the Kami… and they wish to answer her pleas." Yong-ha trailed off as her face twisted with something like sympathy.

His heart was pounding. He didn't want to know. "I see."

With a melancholic smile, she patted his arm. "I'm willing to answer anything you ask me, if you're willing to listen to what I say. Now, it's time to reapply the ointments on your back…"

/\/\/

When he wasn't careful, the memory replayed itself in his head over and over. Yong-ha's knowing, careful look and the instinctive understanding of what she spoke of was like a fist around his heart.

In the middle of the night, when he couldn't sleep, he'd watch the shadows flicker and move and wonder if it was _her_ \- watching, worrying, unable to speak because he wouldn't listen.

They - the traitors, the monsters - used to say he was too superstitious. That people like them, people who made a living off of blood and steel, shouldn't let threats of something beyond their life get in the way of their work.

They weren't wrong- but Ryō had still held tight to the strands of faith that told him his mother and father were somewhere better than this, waiting for him.

And when he closed his eyes - he knew. She was waiting as well, across the shore. And she wasn't peaceful. Her eyes were fierce and full of fury and grief as her hands waved back and forth, calling him, and her mouth opened and closed, speaking - no shouting. The rush of the water in the river between them drowned her voice in its all consuming noise. He wondered if she was cursing his name- damning him for failing to protect her. His toes dug into the silt of on the bank, and he shut his eyes once more.

/\/\/

The night before the seventh day, Yong-ha came over to give him one last check up, and to tighten up his stitches.

"I don't want them falling apart while you're heading back home," she had said when he insisted that they were fine. (Which they were- he could only assume that she was going to miss him, though he couldn't understand why.)

The room was otherwise quiet, and when she was finished, she gathered up her tools and stood to leave.

Still, he wasn't ready to go to sleep - to see _her_ stand across from him over that infernal river.

"Goodnight, Ryō," Yong-ha told him.

When he said nothing, She held her palms together. "You have no reason to be afraid of her."

He looked up and met her sunset orange eyes, and despite himself, he asked the question that had been plaguing his thoughts since that first night he saw his sister by the Sanzu river. "What is she saying?"

His caretaker laughed, and said it as though it were the simplest thing in the world. "Listen to her."

/\/\/

Her brown hair, darker than his own, swayed in the wind. The ever present roar of the river was gone, and he could finally hear - so he listened.

"Don't come! Please- don't chase me!"

The fierceness of her eyes morphed into desperation, and the anger and grief became tempered by fear. The beckoning hands instead were shooing him away, telling him to go- away. From the river. From her.

_Oh._

He hesitated. He wanted to reach forward-

"_Go!"_

/\/\/

"Well?" Master Pak demanded impatiently. "What's it gonna be?"

Looking at the shadows on Ryō's face, Yong-ha wasn't sure what her friend would choose to do. Just because she was closer to the Far Shore than most people didn't mean she knew the future.

And she knew that just because someone begged didn't mean they would get what they wanted - Ryō may have heard her, but he had to decide for himself whether Hinami's prayers were something he was willing to answer.

That choice never belonged to anybody but him - not even to the Kami. And regardless of what path he decided to pursue, whether it was right or wrong was up to him.

Still - she hoped he would stick around. She missed having a brother.

With a groan and sigh, he folded his arms and asked, "Remind me how long it's gonna take for me to pay it all off?"

Yong-ha felt her back straighten - was he really?

"Six months, since we're going to be making sure your back wound is handled properly while you're still with us." The youth mulled over the answer, and Master Pak added, "If I like you enough, you're welcome to stay longer with pay after the six months."

At his hesitant look, she finally burst out, "Please come with us!"

She flushed at the two surprised looks that sent her, but pushed on. "We could really use your help, Ryō."

"That's Ryō-_san_ to you, kid."

She refrained from rolling her eyes, like she wanted to. "Right."

"Does that mean we have a deal?" Master Pak asked.

Rubbing his face, the former mercenary nodded.

Her master pulled out a katana - cleaned and sharpened in its scabbard - and placed it in front of their new companion.

"Then get packing, you ruffian. We're heading out the next day."

* * *

**Wow! I shock myself. This chapter is longer than the others for sure, and I hope I'm able to consistently pump out about 5K words, but I'm gonna do my best not to worry so much about that.**

**And what did you think of Ryō? Because I'm gonna be honest with you, that dude morphed into a completely different person as I was writing him. Originally, he was supposed to be serious and kind of straight-laced and super polite, but he turned into a rude asshole, all on his own! Weird how that works, but I think I'm fine with the change.**

**Anyways, please tell me your thoughts in the reviews! Even the silliest little comment is welcome. Also, if anybody is interested in editing my nonsense, message me!**

**~Muse~**


	4. Golden Sun

Golden Sun

* * *

"Master Pak is here!"

"Thank the Gods, my son-"

It's been two months since Ryō had become their bodyguard. Two months of watching as they went from village to destitute village and aided the sick and needy for nothing more than a bowl of rice and whatever spare change the village head could scrounge up. Their grateful eyes when Master Pak only accepted half of what they could offer were vivid in his memory for it's starkness against the utter misery they had been cast in before.

The Fire Tribe was a wasteland, and these two were going around giving everything they had for free - as far he could see, the only person who supposedly had to actually pay for anything was him. When he had asked the doctor about this, Master Pak had scoffed and told him that he never did charity work for fighters.

Even so.

_How the hell is the old man paying for this?_

Medicine was not cheap. The herbs and substances that made up remedies, while many could be found in nature, the most potent and effective ones were the ones that were difficult to grow and harvest, and had to be sold. In order to continue helping people, one had to have a steady enough income that allowed them to restock supplies and continue treating people.

Ryō simply couldn't fathom the sheer cost of all of the work Master Pak did without pay, much less how he was able to continue the work and keep both him and his young disciple fed and clothed in decent fabrics that properly fit, rather than the rags he would have expected from someone so obviously mismanaging their funds.

The old man had money, for sure - Ryō just had no idea where it was coming from.

"Please, Master! My son-" Ryō was broken out of his musings by the distressed calls of a young woman. "Please- he needs help-"

Her face was pale, and her hands shook terribly. Her wrists were thin, and her cheeks just slightly hollow. Still, she couldn't have been older than eighteen at the most.

The doctor held his hand up. "Calm yourself. Take me to him, and tell me what's wrong with your son on the way."

Yong-ha and the master followed the woman as she lead them deeper into the village, along with several other women, and Ryō took that as his cue to leave them to their work.

He was about to wander off, but Yong-ha, apparently sensing this, had rushed back and began to tug him forward.

"You can help us," she told him at his surly look.

"I'm paid to protect you from bandits and thieves, not to be your assistant."

She rolled her eyes. "Do you have anything better to do? Just watch us, then - I don't want to have to fetch you when we're finished, and you were probably just going to take a nap somewhere anyway."

He gave up with a shrug. She wasn't wrong, and it was a bigger pain to pick a fight than to just go along and hang out.

Walking through the village, he thought it was one of the more decent ones they've been through- the buildings weren't falling apart and people weren't dying on the edge of the road.

Xing wasn't exactly home sweet home at the moment, but the only impression that Kouka has been giving him so far was that for the country supposedly founded by the Crimson Dragon, it was kind of a shithole.

They stopped at the entrance to a small, single-room home, and Yong-ha sat him in the corner with a pat to his head. Though he found the motion somewhat resentful, he couldn't bring himself to be too upset with his younger charge.

A little boy with a thin braid and a sickly yellow complexion was hacking fitfully as the doctor looked him over. There were bags under his eyes, and looked fairly miserable as he was made to sit up.

Ryō continued to watch for the next half hour as the master finished his examination and spoke quickly to his disciple. He watched as the eleven year old narrowed her persimmon colored eyes, pulled out materials and tools, and concocted some sort of medicine for the sick child. He wondered if it was another of her creations, and not something taught to her. He remembered the shock that had went through his body when he had found out that she was making her own remedies. He almost didn't believe it, until he saw the knowing expression on her Master's face - he found the whole thing as insane as he did.

The child drank it and fell promptly asleep, and with quick assurances from the pair, the mother trembled with relief. With some wistfulness, he wondered what it might have been like if he had chosen to go down a path that wasn't paved with violence and blood. Maybe if he worked harder, done better, he could have found something that could have allowed people to look as this woman did in that moment. Maybe then, he wouldn't have a giant scar on his back.

Maybe then, Hinami would still be alive.

/

Inky black hair blew in the wind as a young girl puttered through a meadow, humming to herself. A song that she couldn't quite remember where she learned, but held close to her heart.

"You're a lucky kid, you know."

Yong-ha looked up at her bodyguard's sudden pronouncement. Ryō leaned against a tree trunk, watching over her as she made herself busy hunting for useful plants in the area. The search wasn't going very well at all, but she supposed it was worth a shot.

"I know." She did. She felt it everyday, and with every whisper of some bit of knowledge from the Heavens, she knew it was because of their guidance and love that she had what she had - what others didn't.

His expression was regretful. "With what I know now, I would have given a lot to be able to do what you two do." with clenched fists, he continued. "All I've ever been good for was cutting up other people, so that's what I did."

She knew he must have been thinking of what had happened to his sister. Yong-ha wasn't certain just what had happened - only bits and pieces she'd put together from her dreams - but what she knew for sure was that he felt responsible.

"That's not true," she told him, matter of fact. At his skeptical look, she abandoned her fruitless task and slumped down next to him. Instead of elaborating, she asked him a question.

"Ryō, how many places have we been since you came with us?"

"... Nine."

"When it was only me and Master Pak, we would be lucky to get to three in two months." She laughed at his startled look. "You're able to help Master Pak on the road better than I can, so we're able to travel so much more quickly than we did before. We may help the sick, but you protect us."

She clapped her hands together. "And do you know what that means?"

He tilted his head. "What does it mean?"

"When you protect us, you're protecting everyone we're going to help! In your own way, you're helping them too." The breeze was gentle as it brushed the light brown hair out of his deep red eyes. "I'm really glad you're here."

There was a pause, before a chuckle bubbled past his lips. "You're a good kid," he said, ruffling her hair. "I'll do my best."

* * *

Golden Sun

* * *

_One year later_

The day Yong-ha's faith was broken, the sky was blue and the air was warm under the golden summer sun.

_Master Pak and Ryō can't be angry if I actually succeed._

The twelve-year-old had gained valuable information on the rumored whereabouts of Senjuso from the older boy working at the fish market, who had told her about the plant being located near one of the larger estuaries, having supposedly heard about it from the gossiping maids who worked for the local lord of the city when they were shopping at his stall. The lord wanted to see if he could make money by increasing its cultivation, but this was apparently being opposed by other, more important people and - point was, the boy was also kind of a gossip, and in all honesty the politics flew over her head. What was important was that he was friendly and kind enough to point her in the general direction.

What wasn't so fortunate was that to get to the estuary, she had to make her way through several miles of a thick forest and a rocky outcropping of some sort to get to that spot. While this didn't excite her sense of adventure in any way, she really, really needed that plant. The good thing was that there was a thin trail leading there, so she wouldn't get lost so long as she remember which direction to turn when the path split off. The trees, though they provided plenty of shade, weren't enough to protect her from the suffocating humidity. The occasional breeze against her back was the only reassurance that she was still going in the right direction.

It's already been over an hour since she left, and she was sure that her master and bodyguard were losing their minds by now. As guilty as she felt at the thought, she knew they would be opposed to her going to such a dangerous area based only on information from vague rumors, but her gut was telling her that she had to go.

She had to go.

Despite this, her water pouch was empty, and she wasn't sure she would be able to make it through the endless stretch of mangroves that she couldn't shake the feeling she'd already seen a while ago.

After another hour and a half, she was crying and wondering if this was, perhaps, a bad idea after all. But as much as she loathed to take another step forward, she couldn't force herself to turn back empty-handed.

When she finally broke out of the thicket upstream of the estuary, she collapsed to the ground with a short, muffled scream into the dirt. After taking several moments to calm down and breathe, she made her way down along the river, looking closely for anything that fit the description of the elusive plant, careful not to lose her footing on the loose gravel that made up the thin stretch of space between the forest and the steep, rocky slope leading down to the water.

Five minutes into the search, she caught sight of a white bushel of flowers poking out of the outcropping on her side of the river, and her heart stuttered with excitement and relief. At least her tears hadn't been in vain.

With a quick prayer of thanks, she began making her way down the outcropping. Her stomach clenched when her foot knocked a rock loose, but besides that, she was able to make it to the Senjuso without much trouble.

"There you are! What a troublesome thing," she grumped, though she couldn't help the victorious smile that split her face. Opening her bag, she took as much as she could without harming the plant, her heart pounding even after she pulled the drawstring shut and secured it back on her hip.

Wrapping her hand around a jutting rock above her head, she pulled herself up.

_That boy said a local lord wanted to cultivate it. There are probably more convenient spots downstream to pick from, but they're probably owned and guarded by the lord -_

Her internal musings were interrupted as the rock she had just grabbed was pulled out of the outcropping, throwing her balance back. She fell away from the slope as she scrambled for a purchase, but everything else was too smooth and big for her to grasp in time.

The brackish water muffled her scream as she went under, and it was with a single-minded panic that she flailed her limbs to reach the surface.

_I can't swim!_

Water went up her nose and in her mouth, and when her head finally broke the surface she hacked and coughed at that salty taste it left. Though the current didn't seem to be particularly fast, she could barely keep afloat, much less swim towards the shore.

She let out a short, garbled cry. "Help!"

Surprisingly enough, someone answered.

"I've got you!"

Yong-ha didn't have time to process the words before there was a splash behind her. Several moments later, an arm around her waist was dragging her towards the edge of the river.

Luckily, the slope wasn't quite so steep anymore, and the two of them were able to climb over the mangrove roots towards the forest. Once she had slumped down against one of the trunks, she was finally able to get a proper look at her savior.

A boy older than her, but still quite young was gasping from what seemed to be exhaustion as he shook his bright, yellow locks of hair, the same color as the gold ornament hanging from his bandana. His clothes were ragged and dirty, making him look more like a hobo than a hero.

There was something about him though… she couldn't quite pin it down, but it felt familiar. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to shake the feeling off, but she couldn't stop herself from staring.

Noticing her gawking, he gave her a toothy smile. She noted that his canines were particularly sharp. "You okay there little lady?"

With a shaky nod, she hiccuped through her tears, "Th-thank you."

He gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "Zeno is happy to help! But you should be more careful - a little girl like yourself shouldn't be putting herself in such dangerous situations." With a tilt of his head, he asked her, "what was the little lady doing all the way out here?"

With a start, her hands immediately went to her waist where her pouch of extremely valuable medicinal herbs were stored. Terror shot through her when she didn't immediately find it, but the blonde - presumably Zeno - seeing her movement and panic was quick to point out that her bag had shifted on the rope to her back, and was that what she was looking for? When she confirmed that she hadn't lost any of her stash, she released a sigh.

"Is everything okay?"

Yong-ha nodded. Sitting up properly, she bowed deeply, her bangs brushing the ground as she did. "Thank you for saving me. I'm terribly sorry for all of the trouble I've caused you."

The boy sounded almost panicked as he responded. "There's really no need to bow to me - Please raise your head!"

At his floundering, she rose from her position on the ground, doing her best not to laugh. "Okay," she said "but please accept this as my thanks." Carefully bundled in a cloth was some of the Senjuso she had gotten. "It's a potent healing plant - if you take it to an herbalist, or if you know how to make a remedy yourself, this will surely help you if you or anyone you know gets sick or injured."

He held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Ah, Zeno appreciates your kindness, but Zeno doesn't need…"

"It's okay - I probably shouldn't have taken so much anyway -" she dismissed grasping his hands with the intent of stuffing the plant into his grasp, meeting his eyes in an attempt to communicate her earnestness.

She only had a moment to notice they were a beautiful blue - just like that of the sky above their heads - before she was plunged headfirst into knowledge she'd never wished she'd been granted.

_Hiryuu-Ou!_

Red hair -the red of dawn - streams out before her like a banner -

_I won't ever let you be harmed - _

Blood, pain, before it all disappears like a ghost and she's left wondering if it was ever really there -

_Don't leave me! Please! Please-!_

They're fading - they're fading-

_Will you please marry me?_

Kind eyes and a bright smile. She holds the girl's bones to her chest.

It hurts - it _hurts_ -

_But, if it means that I can bring even a bit of happiness into this world… _

A Ryuujin - glistening, golden scales and claws the size of a person- appears before her, offering -

_Then give me that Dragon's blood._

She was crying.

The - teen - seemed at a loss. "Hey what's wrong? Does something hurt? It's okay, Zeno will help you home if you need -" The concern on his face was directed towards her, another person. He actually seemed to care, too. In the back of her mind, she marveled at the fact that he still could.

Still, she couldn't stop the tears that continued to stream down her face.

_How could they do this? _

"Ouryuu," she whispered. "You're-"

The Yellow Dragon couldn't conceal his shock, stilling at the title. "How did…"

"I don't understand," she choked out. Desperately, she held his hand tight, uncaring as the Senjuso fell to the ground. "They loved you, too- how could they…"

_How could they have done this? To one of their own? One of their beloved?_

Unable to continue speaking, she cried. For a boy, forsaken by the gods he had given everything to. For a boy who would lose everything, again and again. For a boy who would live on alone, in the end.

Understanding colored his features, and he gave her the gentlest, saddest smile she would ever know. Holding her, he patted her back as she hiccuped and coughed, doing her best to calm down, though the effort was futile.

"The young lady is very kind," he told her, voice soft. "No one has shed tears for me in a long, long time."

After however long it took her to calm down, she forced her red-rimmed eyes to meet his once more. Though it was more subdued than his first, he still gave her a smile that illuminated his face.

She couldn't understand it. "Don't you hate them?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

He contemplated her question before he finally answered. "I don't know," was his honest reply. "For a long time, I believed that they had abandoned me."

_They did_.

"But one morning, I saw a red star." His expression was wistful. "I haven't heard their voices or felt them since I accepted Ryuujin-sama's offering, and I've never truly understood what they thought or felt, but I want to believe that everything they do, they do because they love us - humanity."

Though he seemed to genuinely believe in his own words, Yong-ha still couldn't accept it - but what did it matter what she was willing or unwilling to accept? The Gods had taken him, and she couldn't bring him back.

"Though I've lost my connection to them, I can see that the little lady is also loved. You should treasure that. There's no need to look so scared - they won't hurt you." Wiping her cheek with his palm, he laughed. "Though, she might have to learn how to conceal her emotions a little better. It would be a bit worrisome bursting into tears every time you met someone, wouldn't it?"

At that, she giggled. "I've never met anyone like you, though."

Zeno shrugged. "Not many like me around."

Then she sneezed. Her clothes were soaking, and though the sun was still out, it was getting late.

"Come on - I'll take you to your home. You're from the nearby city, right?"

She nodded. Technically she was only passing through with her master and Ryō because Master Pak had fallen ill again. And with the way the elderly man handled it, Yong-ha knew it wasn't something that would go away.

Her fist clenched tight around her drawstring pouch.

She could fix it. She _would_ fix it.

Zeno helped her up until they reached some of the homes on the outskirts of the town. The journey had been mostly silent, as Yong-ha didn't have the energy to speak after such a physically and emotionally taxing day, and the blonde haired - youth? - seemed content to let the silence sit.

"Don't go worrying your folks so much anymore, alright?"

She wanted to deny that she had any 'folks', but she felt that for all intents and purposes, she probably did. "I can't make any promises," she said instead.

With a grin, he shook his head. Ruffling her already messy hair, he turned to leave. With a wave, he called out, "Goodbye!"

She waved back. Her chest clenched as his steps took him farther and farther away - taking something with him.

"My name is Yong-ha!" At her sudden pronouncement he paused in his steps. His startled gaze turned back to hers, and she did her best to smile. "I hope we meet again, Ouryuu Zeno."

He smiled back, once more bright as the golden sun. "Yeah!"

/\/\/

_Their voices mingled with that of the rain, mourning, crying at her to leave him, to move on and live -_

"_I ask for only one thing -"_

_She prayed. Begged._

"_Save him."_

_A voice, distinct from the others, rose to the surface. Feminine. Motherly, even._

"_Then, child, we only ask one thing of you."_

_Her brother hacked, coughed. She held him tighter against her own shaking body._

"_Anything."_

/\/\/

Staring blearily up at the swirls of wood in the ceiling, Yong-ha slowly processed the dream. It was unusual in that it was an actual dream, rather than a vision of some sort.

It was the memory of that cold, desolate little cave from six years ago. It was the memory of a promise she had made - to them. To the gods. An exchange.

_Anything_

That night after her encounter with the Yellow Dragon, with a severe scolding from both her mentor and bodyguard, she was sentenced to house arrest for the rest of their stay in the port city.

Fortunately though, the duration of that stay wouldn't be quite as long as they had predicted thanks to the Senjuso she had brought back. What _wasn't_ so fortunate was that her master refused to take anymore of the medicine after his first two doses, saying they needed to save it for their patients.

His refusal to take the medicine, coupled with the cramped atmosphere of their rooms plunged her already terrible mood down further. The long hours spent simply waiting on her sick master gave her too much time to think. She couldn't even distract herself teasing Ryō because he was too busy doing small jobs during the day.

Ouryuu Zeno told her that she was loved, that the Gods loved her - and that she should cherish that. And for as long as she'd been alive, she had. As a young child, she would seek out their words and share them with her brother. Though sometimes she couldn't understand what they said, she never cared - their very presence brought with it a warmth she associated with her mother's laughter and her father's strong arms. It was like the bright feeling in her chest when her little Hak would cuddle with her when the dreams wouldn't let her sleep.

But now, there was a poison in her system. A fear that plagued her mind like a growth.

_What if I was wrong this whole time?_

The swirls in the wood reminded her of human faces, and she tried to find one that looked like someone she knew.

_Will they betray me too?_

She thought the one in the far corner looked a bit like the boy who told her about the Senjuso - it was the hair, she was sure. It stuck up kind of funny on his right side.

_Just what did I give them that day?_

The curtains - a pale, sun-bleached pink - fluttered in the breeze.

* * *

**So, another chapter. This one took a while because I ended up writing three separate chapters at once, not to mention I was swamped with finals. **

**Her meeting Zeno is really important in establishing Yong-ha's inner conflicts and character, because it's the first time she really begins to **_**question**_** her faith in the Gods. This is the beginning of a rift, and it's going to strongly influence the way she views the world and herself.**

**Also, I totally forgot to put it in the last chapter, but thank you all that favorited/followed, and Moonfana and anon Lana for leaving a review! Every word of encouragement is very much appreciated!**

**Once I get the motivation and chance, I'll go over previous chapters and probably do some heavy editing.**

**~Muse~**


	5. Welcome to the Capital

Welcome to the Capital

* * *

_Two Years Later_

Master Pak always told her that he saved what he could and buried what he couldn't, but the truth was that she'd never seen him bury anyone that wasn't already halfway across the Sanzu River, and sometimes even then she'd seen him drag them back to the Near Shore.

He was humble, and had a good constitution for being a doctor. While he always did his best, he didn't let grief or regret consume him when his best failed someone.

The people believed him to be blessed by the Kami themselves, but Yong-ha knew that every person - every man, woman, and child he'd ever granted salvation was a product of his own dedication and love for humanity.

No god had given him this power, this passion. He was as human as any of the people they helped, with shaky feet, a bad temper, and no patience to speak of.

Even though she knew this, growing up guided by his hand down the same path and seeing the awe, the joy on the faces of all of the people he's touched with his kindness-

_Thank you! Thank you!_

-it was easy to forget that he wasn't the god they all thought he was.

Yong-ha's heart pounded. "You want me to do the surgery? But I-"

"I do." At her incredulous stare, he continued. "You're ready," there was something resigned in his tone, but his eyes were bright with something she couldn't quite grasp. "I was the one to train you, and you've no idea how you've surpassed my expectations, over and over throughout these years. People like to say that I've been blessed by the Gods, but if anyone was given a gift, it was you."

Yong-ha wanted to laugh. A gift from the Gods?

(Nothing is free.)

Regret laced his next words. "I can barely stitch a wound these days, and it's only getting worse. I'll be guiding you through the steps closely, so you should be fine, and frankly, it's the most I can do right now. What I need to do while I still can is make sure you're prepared for when I'm not there to hold your hand anymore."

She should have been honored. She should have been cherishing the the rare words of praise he was giving her.

_When I'm not there anymore_.

She didn't want to do it. She didn't want to admit it.

Gripping the skirt of her hanfu, she bit out, "I've only turned fourteen."

"You're a goddamn prodigy. Stop pretending you're not capable," he snapped. "You've aided me through hundreds of these surgeries. You study hard, pay attention, and your hands never shake. You've been doing some of the easier surgeries without my guidance for over a year now, and some mid-levels as well. You've stopped a woman from bleeding to death after giving birth to twins by administering a coagulant the _you_ completed only weeks before you turned thirteen years old."

She swallowed.

At her mutinous expression, Master Pak gave a tired sigh. It rattled ominously in his chest, and she wanted to cover her ears. His voice was soft. "That man needs your help, Yong-ha."

Master Pak never lied. Every word he said was the truth - he truly believed that she could do it. But she knew that he didn't really want her to do this - to _have_ to do this. He wanted to help these people, to continue helping them for as long as his heart still continued to beat. He wanted to - but he couldn't. He wouldn't say it, but she knew the heart of his words.

_Please._

It was so easy to forget, and so very, very painful to remember that the man who picked her up off of a dirt path and gave her everything she's ever needed and taught her all he knew for the past eight years of her life would one day leave her behind and go somewhere she couldn't reach with just her hands and tears.

She bowed her head. "For you, my beloved Master."

/\/\/

It was as her Master said. The procedure was a resounding success, and Wei - a relatively young carpenter of thirty-two with three children and pregnant wife - Although he wouldn't be quite as whole as his former self, he would still be able to make a decent enough recovery and continue providing for his family.

Bowing as deeply as she could with her swollen belly, Ri-ye, Wei's wife, spoke. "Thank you so much for helping my husband." Her voice had a strange lilt to it that reminded Yong-ha of Ryō. "Please accept our thanks."

Her master gave the woman and her children a nod - Wei was still resting in his house - and accepted their payment without fanfare. They were, relatively speaking, well-off and there was no reason not to accept reimbursement from someone who could afford it.

Silently, Yong-ha stood to the side. While she graciously accepted the young family's gratitude with a small smile and nod, she felt surprisingly detached as they thanked and shook her hand despite it being her first real surgery.

She couldn't focus on anything other than the tremor in her master's hand as he took the bag. How pale his face was. How dark the bags were under his eyes. How every movement seemed to pain him.

She couldn't help but wonder just how long it would be before he couldn't even look people in the eye and tell them everything would be taken care of.

She looked back. Ryō stood at ease, carrying most of their luggage as the resident pack mule. He quirked a brow at her and she gave him a reflexive smile. Nothing to see here, it said, but it being Ryō, he frowned. Ignoring his look, she turned back

_How long?_ She wondered. _How long until then? _

/\/\/

The answer was two months.

After Master Pak collapsed, flushed and hacking blood, Yong-ha had inspected him and discovered a giant rash across his back and chest. Two days, he spent bedridden, groaning in pain and snapping at her fussing as she did her best to take care of him in the spare room of the village head. When he fell down and hurt his wrist trying to get out of bed, she finally snapped.

"Ryō," she called out in a tight voice, binding her mentor's wrist carefully against a small piece of wood.

"Yeah?"

"Pack up," she ordered. "We're taking him to Kuuto."

It was a three day journey to the capital. Whether the proximity was a coincidence, or Master Pak knew what would happen, Yong-ha wasn't certain. The group arrived just as the rumbling sky delivered on its promise of rain, and the teen quickly had them situated in the cheapest inn she and Ryō could find.

"Now," she began, her tone uncompromising, "you will not take a single step out of this room until I've made everything ready. You are going to stay here and _not move_, do you understand?"

The old man grunted.

She scowled down at him. "I need you to promise."

He scowled and grumbled something like "Sure, sure."

She was tempted to stomp her foot, but experience told her that this was the best she was going to get. Turning away, she grabbed her travel hat. With a tired sigh, she looked at Ryō. "Let's go," she grumbled. "We need to get this done by tomorrow."

Making their way through the streets, she did her best to remember the path. Though she had to circle back twice, the pair was able to make it to their destination. When she was finally standing in front of a stately, if somewhat decrepit home on the edge of the west district, she released a breath. "We're here."

"What exactly is 'here"?" her bodyguard asked, craning his neck over the outer wall to get a better look.

Pulling out a set of keys from her bag, she replied, "Master Pak's home. We're going to be staying here until he's well enough to travel again." Unlocking the wooden gate leading into the garden, she continued. "That'll be a while, so this is the best place to go. Master Pak doesn't like it here, but it would cost too much to stay in an inn for so long."

She vaguely heard her companion grumble something along the lines of "knew it… rich bastard…" and nodded. "You're right. Master Pak had built up a significant fortune working as the top healer at Hiryuu Castle until he left, and in addition to his family's inheritance, he had a lot of funds to spare."

"'Had?'"

She gave him a wry smile. "I'm sure you've noticed, but we don't do a very good job covering costs." Shaking her head, she sighed. "Honestly, I'm not certain how long we would have been able to continue at the rate we were going through the money. Even if Master Pak wasn't sick, we probably would have still had to come back at some point."

Yong-ha had asked her mentor only once why he didn't charge as much money as he should have.

"_Because it means I wouldn't be able to treat those who can't cough up the money." His eyes seemed almost haunted. "And that would kill me."_

The inside of the home was, as expected, incredibly dusty. "We need to make a clean living area so that we can move Master Pak in as soon as possible. We can worry about the rest of the house after that."

The Xingese man nodded. "I see." Scratching his chin, he continued. "This will be a good opportunity to beat some proper forms into you then," he said. "You've been slacking recently."

She groaned - not this again. She was a medic, not a fighter! "Well what are you here for, then? You-"

"-won't always be there to protect you," he finished. "Now that we're in the capital, I can get you a proper staff and knife."

She sniffed. "Weapons are illegal. And I need to take care of Master Pak."

Ryō scoffed. "Nobody cares about 'illegal' - I'm sure even Kuuto has a black market. And as for the doctor, you won't be taking care of him_ all _of the time."

She gave him a surly look.

He sighed. "All I'm asking is that you can do enough to get away in a dangerous situation. "

He had a point, the teen conceded to herself, but she _did_ have an actual reason to slack off now. "I also need to study - Master has a lot of books and scrolls with his old research left here, and I think I'll be able to understand it better now that I'm older. You can teach me on the road once we get going again, but I need to get as much reading in as I can while we're still here." Her sunset eyes shined shined with determination as she pumped her fist in the air. "I'll be able to do a better job helping Master Pak, then."

She didn't notice the sad look he gave her as she turned away and started binding her sleeves against her forearm. "I'm pretty sure there are cleaning supplies in the shack out back. I'll get them, and you can remove the fusuma. I'll help with moving the tatamis once I get back."

Ryō watched as she marched away. "Better job helping, huh?"

Skeptical as he was, he hoped for her sake that it would be as she imagined.

He turned his gaze towards the shadow of the castle looming over the city. Despite the circumstances, this was the perfect opportunity to start taking care of things that needed to be dealt with. There was a lot of housekeeping to do for the Xingese man.

* * *

Welcome to the Capital

* * *

"Dammit! Fucking-"

A shout, followed by a clatter of wood as a scruffy, light haired man knocked the Ougi* pieces to the ground.

His opponent chuckled. "No amount of whining is going to save you, Ogi." He stuck his hand out. "Time to cough it up, my friend."

Ogi, information broker and "face" of the underbelly of Kuuto's east district, scowled into his cup. "I've still got enough for another two rounds."

A younger man from the side cackled at the older one's stubborn insistence. "Better quit while you still can, then! Otherwise you'll go broke."

Indignant, the blonde turned and pointed an accusatory finger. "What are you even doing here, Gin? Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Oh?" the broker folded his arms "because I heard that Mina was looking for you. Had something real important to talk about - I think it had something to do with a pretty friend of yours… Da-Xia, I think her name was? Anyways, I'm sure she'll be here real soon -"

"Oh, _Shit-_"

Gin bolted, the stool he'd been sitting on clattering in his wake. Immediately, a distant '_Fuck!_' could be heard from the alley, before a loud, feminine voice started shouting, followed by the nervous, stammered defenses of their friend. Ogi grinned to himself.

The winner of the game scratched his cheek with a laugh. "That was kind of mean, don't you think?"

The blonde rolled his eyes. "Brat deserved it."

A laugh. "Can't argue with that - though _you_ can hardly argue that that was one of the pettiest things you've done."

Ogi shrugged. He wasn't wrong.

"Anyways, I don't have feel like playing another game so-"

"Oi, Ogi-san! You've got a guest!"

He groaned, covering his face with his arm. He really wasn't in the mood. "Tell them to fuck off!"

"Ogi-san I really don't think -"

"Was this a bad time?" A baritone voice asked.

His ears pricked up despite himself.

The voice had a slight accent - Xingese, if he was right. Dropping his arm, he got a proper look at the newcomer. Tan skin, brown hair, and dark, blood red eyes set above high cheekbones in a handsome enough face. The young man was tall - at least, taller than himself, and muscular in that way fighters and mercenaries always were. What caught the blonde's attention, however, was the blade that hung on his left side.

The sheath was well-crafted, and the red tassels that hung from the hilt hinted at wealth, but quality weapons weren't something that were worth his attention unless they were being offered as payment. No, what made this one distinctive was the relief on the handle - a shrike.

_What the hell was one of the Butchers doing in Kouka? _

When he lifted his eyes, they were shuttered with caution. "Terrible," he finally replied. Reluctantly, he continued. "Can I help you?"

"I heard you have some extensive connections…," the young man began, "do those connections extend beyond these borders?"

_Oh boy._ "Why do you want to know?"

"I wish to contact some old friends of mine in Xing," the man responded, confirming his suspicions as to the man's origins - though with that blade, it was a slim chance that he was anything else.

Scratching his chin, Ogi mulled over this. "I see," he said.

"I was hoping you could update me on the situation there, get some important information through."

One of the Butchers was here, in the capital of Kouka, asking him to create a funnel to Xing. _Keep it cool, Ogi_, he told himself. _He's probably just a grunt. _He eyed the tassels hanging off his sword. _Maybe._

"Depends on just what that 'important information' is," he relented. "And I'll have you know, I'm not cheap."

"I think I'll be able to come up with a fair trade," the man replied, and with a little too much teeth, continued, "though I'll reserve a right to dispute anything that seems… unreasonable."

_Reserve - _Who the hell did he think he was?

"And _I_ reserve the right to refuse business. And before I even _begin_ negotiating anything with you, I gotta know -" he narrowed his eyes "- who's asking?"

The man opened his mouth. Closed it. Seemed to argue with himself before shrugging, and opened it again. "My name is Ryō."

_What the fuck?_ An obviously high quality sword denoting an affiliation to the Grey Shrike, and his name was _Ryō_?

Ogi did his best to hide his shock, but it must have still shown, because the young man - Ryō - nodded. "You know me?"

The information broker laughed, running his hands through his hair. Did Ogi know Gi Ryō, the infamous Mozu and heir to his uncle's bloody throne? "I might."

"Great," the mercenary said. "That'll make this conversation go much more smoothly."

Ogi held his hands up quickly. "Wait a second now. You got any proof?"

Last he heard, Gi Ryō was dead in a ditch at the hands of the insurgents within the group. Any of them could have easily taken his weapons and claimed his name.

Wordlessly, the Xingese man brought his right leg up against the table and yanked the pant leg. On the inside of his ankle, inked in a dark, cherry red, were the characters - 百舌.

"Can we work out a deal now?" he demanded, and the information broker grimaced.

"I don't know about that," Ogi protested. "I don't have a death wish, and helping you seems like a one way ticket to having my name on Renshu's hit list. And more importantly, I have no intention of dabbling in anything treasonous -"

A smile, sharp and terrifying, splits the Mozu's face. "Treason won't be an issue, and I'm sure we'll be able to come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Otherwise -" his hand very casually fell to the hilt of his blade "- it won't be Renshu you'll have to worry about."

For a moment, all Ogi could do was stare. Then, running a hand through his hair, he chucked a small bag of Ling at his Ougi opponent and slumped down in his chair. "Fuck. I give up."

Ogi was sure that whatever he got out of this mess - it wouldn't be worth it.

* * *

Welcome to the Capital

* * *

The end of spring was near, and summer was fast approaching.

Yong-ha sighed mournfully at the now solid green tree line, the effervescent whites and soft pinks of the cherry blossoms very much absent. With the flowers gone, her gaze turned towards the bustle of humanity in the marketplace instead. It was still early in the morning, but the number of people in the streets was steadily growing. She watched as a particularly harried looking servant rushed past her and into the tailor's place with an armful of expensive looking fabrics. She thought the girl was about the same age as herself.

"Yong-ha-chan!" a now familiar voice-called out.

Turning away from her people watching, she smiled. "Kariya-san," she greeted. "The usual?"

The elderly man grinned. "You know it!"

Reaching behind her, she pulled open one of the many small drawers in her portable medicine cabinet and grabbed the pre-made remedy, having been expecting him. "Here you are - you know the drill. Once every night before you go to bed."

"You're a godsend, you are," he said happily, handing her a small handful of Ling. He shook his head. "I just can't believe Jin-soo came back to Kuuto."

She laughed. "Yes, well, I didn't give him much of a choice. He needs to get better before he can push himself like before…"

It's been a month since they came. Every morning she could, she set up shop in the marketplace and sold medicine, and on occasion, treatment. Business was slow in the beginning, people preferring to go to those that they were already familiar with rather than the unreliable products from a teenage girl. The moment it got out, however, that she was Master Pak's student, she had begun gaining a steady stream of customers.

Her current customer frowned in concern. "How is he? Surely he's doing a little better now that he's not tiring himself out so much."

Kariya-san was an old acquaintance of Master Pak, having worked with him as an herb supplier, though he didn't make medicine himself. It was through his efforts that she was able to get such a decent reputation so quickly upon arrival.

She gave a bright smile at the question, though it was still tinged with some exhaustion. "Oh, he's definitely better now. For a time, I was really worried, but at this rate, I think we'll be good to move out within half a year."

"I'm glad to hear that!" he said with a relieved laugh. "Though I'll miss having your pretty face to greet me in the morning. Jin-soo's is lucky to have a student like yourself."

She touched her neck awkwardly. "Thank you."

"And don't forget to take care of yourself looking after your master." Kariya-san admonished. "It wouldn't do anyone any good if you were to become sick yourself."

She dipped her head in acknowledgment. "I'll do my best."

He left, and for several hours after, she continued serving customers in her little tent. At about nine in the morning, as she was gathering her belongings and getting ready to leave, a boy, about ten years old, skidded to a stop in front of her.

Hunching over he took several moments to regain his breaths. Once he had, he asked her, "Are you the doctor Yong-ha?"

Yong-ha looked at him uncertainly. She had to go home and take care of chores. Master Pak was probably up and done with the breakfast she had left for him by now. "I am, but I'm closed now…" she trailed off when he shook his head violently.

"I don't want to trouble- just- Ryō is looking for you," he finally fumbled out.

"Ryō?" she repeated incredulously."What-"

"He said to get you before you left shop. Wouldn't say why." The runner gave her an apologetic look, and she sighed.

"Alright," she replied grudgingly. "Lead the way, please."

Her guide took her further away from the market area in the center and farther out into the back alleys of the east district. The area wasn't exactly nice, but is was far more clean and put together than she would have expected. She wondered just what sort of business went down in these parts.

_What have you been doing, Ryō?_

Her bodyguard's actions this past month had been rather erratic. He did his best to help out with the house, but once that was mostly done, he'd begun working odd hours and coming home with a dark cloud over his head. Her dreams showed her that he was working as a bouncer of sorts in some kind of brothel, and that he had been meeting a scruffy, blonde haired man - but that was it.

She didn't pick a fight about the brothel job - she knew that his pay was rather small working for just her and her master, and she knew that she should be grateful that he stuck around at all. But the blonde man - her mood darkened. She didn't know what he was doing - all she knew was that it made her stomach churn with dread.

Her brooding was cut short with a quiet warning from the boy. "We're almost there."

She was lead into an open space filled with tables chairs, all crowded around the one with an Ougi board. Seated in one of the stools in the far end was her bodyguard. The blonde man she'd been seeing with him in her dreams sat in the corner with disgruntled look on his face, though he seemed mostly resigned as he watched.

"Ryō," she called out as he handed some coins to the boy, who scurried away, his duty done. "What's going on?" she asked, though from his travel attire and the sack over his shoulder she could guess, and the foreboding that had been growing in her gut turned to lead in an instant.

"On a little trip," he replied casually.

She gave him a hard stare. "And you'll come right back?"

He scratched his chin awkwardly. "Ah.. maybe?"

Her shoulders slumped. "_Ryō._"

He sighed. "Look, you and the doc have been good to me, but you know I can't just stay. I have too much I have to do."

She did know. She knew from the beginning, and she knew, even when he chose to stay - she knew Ryō wasn't someone that would - _could_ let go. He had to return, eventually - to Xing.

Despite herself, she could feel herself shaking, and she folded her arms to hide it the best she could - though the tremble in her voice wasn't quite as easily concealed. "So you're just gonna leave? This is goodbye?"

He shook his head. "No - this trip will only be a few weeks. What I'm planning isn't something that can be accomplished overnight."

"Oh?" she demanded angrily. "So Master Pak and I - we're just some base, huh? You'll hang around whenever it's convenient for you? Why don't you just work at that brothel full-time - you know, some _real_ money - so you can pay your little buddy over there?" she said, jerking her head in the direction of the blonde in the corner.

Instead of defending himself or getting upset with her tone, her friend simply raised a brow. "Just how much are those gods of yours showing you? I hope nothing inappropriate -"

She smacked his arm, though she couldn't stop the snort that escaped her. "Stop that," she said sternly, but he only laughed.

"Sure, sure," he snorted.

She studied him for a moment. He had lost some of the bulk he first had when she and Master Pak had found him, and his eyes seemed just a little bit more tired, but somehow more determined as well. Overlayed, she saw a glassy gaze and pale skin. She gripped his sleeve. "Don't go," she told him quietly. "You'll suffer."

She had only gotten hints of the happenings in that direction, but she knew if - _once_ he left, she would have a harder time distinguishing between the visions and the nightmares. She didn't seek Them out as she used to, but some things were inescapable.

The Xingese man violently ruffled her hair with both hands, turning her already somewhat messy hair into a bird's nest. She squawked in protest but her protests were cut short as he firmly grasped her shoulders.

"Needing a place to stay isn't the only reason I'm coming back," he told her with such a fierce look to which she could only nod. "The doctor has you to look after him, but I still don't trust you to fend for yourself."At that, she scowled, and he chuckled. "Don't worry about me," he said softly. "Don't pay attention to those dreams - that's all they are. You just keep working on those forms and doing what you have to and I'll be back in no time."

Yong-ha was quiet. She was tempted just say it, admit it, at the cost of losing him for good - _I'm not your sister. You don't have to force yourself to stick around out of some misplaced sense of guilt._ \- but she was just a little too selfish and weak to do that.

"Okay."

He gave her a small grin. "Good girl. Now-" he turned towards the blonde in the corner, who they had both been ignoring till now. "-this is Ogi-san." he gestured vaguely in a parody of a proper introduction. "If there's ever an emergency, talk to him and he'll get a message through to me."

Yong-ha turned her gaze to give the man a proper look, though she hardly needed to. The straggly hair, surly look, and somewhat feeble stature were all too familiar at this point.

"Ogi-san, this is Yong-ha, my employer's student," Ryō informed the other man. He smiled, with just a little too much teeth and bloodthirstiness for the motion to be anything less than a threat. "I expect you to take good care of her if she comes to you."

"Right, right," Ogi grumbled, waving his hand. "Just don't forget to pay."

"Of course," Ryō responded lightly. "I'll be sure to bring back something you'll appreciate."

Turning back to Yong-ha, the Xingese man clapped his hands together. "Well, I'm off. I'll be hitching a ride with a fabric merchant and be out of here."

Before he could make his escape, she darted forward and wrapped her arms around his waist. Quietly, she said "Be wary of a one-eyed cat." She squeezed tighter. "Look around you when you see it."

_A one-eyed cat, sitting in an alley - and then burst of red and green before her vision fades into an static sort of darkness._

Ryō only nodded. "Got it."

Yong-ha watched him disappear into the streets before turning back to the information broker with a pensive expression. She didn't like Ryō hanging around him, but it was more so because she knew Ryō was up to no good more than that she disliked Ogi himself.

At her staring, the blonde gave her a mutinous look. "What is it?"

Pulling on the tail of her braid, she frowned. "I'm sorry if Ryō has been troubling you. He can be a bit forceful, I know…" She'd personally witnessed how scary he could be when dealing with enemies, or anyone he didn't like. She was always grateful he was on her side, rather than on the opposite end.

The man snorted, and tipped back his cup. "Ah, yes," he said, smiling. "He can be a _bit_ forceful."

She winced - she could imagine how the conversation, so to speak, went down. From what she could gather, the man in front of her was well connected enough to send an emergency message to Ryō, wherever he would be in a foreign country. Though the former mercenary was gentle with her and her master (for the most part), she knew he didn't have any qualms twisting (and more) an arm or two to get what he wanted out of someone.

"Thank you for taking care of him," she said, somewhat grudgingly. "I'll also be in your care."

The man sighed. "Just go home, kid."

Though she wanted to, she couldn't shake the - guilt? - that was growing inside of her. Ogi, on closer inspection, seemed exhausted, not to mention somewhat relieved her bodyguard was finally gone. Somewhat apologetically, she began. "Ah, if you needed any sort of medical assistance, I'd be willing to help you for free… you can find me in the market in the mornings, or at Master Pak's home- I'd prefer if that was only for emergencies though-"

"Wait wait wait," Ogi cut her off. "You're telling me your master - that heathen's _employer_, is Pak Jin-soo?"

Yong-ha blinked. "Ah, yes? Ryō didn't tell you?"

He rubbed his face with a long suffering sigh. "Okay, okay then," he muttered to himself. To her, he said, "Thank you for the offer. I'll hold you to it."

A little bit lighter, she gave him a relieved smile. "I'd be happy to help you."

/\/\/

Ogi did not come for hangover medication, or migraines, or anything at all when he ended up needing her help. In fact, _She _went to _him_.

(What she didn't understand - what she didn't _get_ until then, was that it was never really about her.)

* * *

**Heyo, I am in fact still writing this thing. I've been very busy this summer… moving, visiting family, and I'm sorry to say that I'm not gonna have regular access to the internet for another week, **_**at least**_**, which is worse because the place I'm staying is super rural and there's nowhere to go at all. I guess the view is nice? I suppose that's the point of a house right on the ocean, but I'm not really an outdoorsy person…**

**This chapter was actually gonna be a little longer, but I was taking too long to write the scene and haven't really been able to focus long enough to do so, so I'm gonna go ahead and put this up… it was getting kind of long winded besides… **

**Hey, thank you all that followed, favorited, or reviewed! And I'm very sorry about that wait, but I'm determined to continue with this story, so thank you for your support!**

**And please… if anybody out there wants to beta, (even just for grammar/spelling), I'd really appreciate it if you contacted me!**


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